Overcoming Writer’s Block
We have all been there. We sit down at our laptops because we finally have some time to write and nothing. We end up staring at the screen longer than writing and before you know it a whole afternoon has been wasted. And for what? You have nothing to show for it.
We all go through periods of energetic writing and, unfortunately, there are lengthy dry spells that come along as well. That just means you need to get a little creative in where your inspiration comes from. Here are some things to consider to help you keep those dry spells at bay.
How to Overcome Writer’s Block
Brainstorm. Remember in grade school where your teacher had you do all those brainstorming activities. Well, it’s time to start doing them again. Brainstorming is a great way to come up with a variety of topics. Take this topic for instance. It was born out of necessity. I was hit with a bout of writer’s block so I decided to write about the very thing causing me paing
Relax. Get up from behind the computer and go for a walk, take a nap, or even take a shower. (Please tell me I am not the only one who has moments of the genius while they are in the shower.) The moment you stop stressing over your writing, you will be relaxed and open to ideas.
Write about your interests. Wrintg about something that interests you is so much easier than writing about something that might not be your favorite. If you have to write about a particular topic, do a little research. This will help raise your interest in the topic and make it easier to write about.
Make an Outline. Create a bullet list of the key points you want to make in your post. Try to keep it to three or four key points and then expand each one into a paragraph. Before you know it, you’ll have the bulk of your blog post crafted. Add an introduction and conclusion so everything is tied nicely together and you can call it a day!
Wait it out. It can be tempting to hit “publish” right after you finished a post that you had to work really hard to get out. But don’t post so hastily. Give it some time. Put it aside for a day or two and come back to re-read and edit. You will have a fresh perspective on your post and you may catch some grammatical errors, punctuation, and you may even find you have some more to add to it.
Writing with purpose can be hard when you are faced with writer’s block. It can even be down right discourgaing. If you find yourself “stuck”, take a break, regroup, and come back later. Give your mind some time to wander! You never know what you will come up with when you aren’t stressing yourself out to get ‘er done!
If you are looking for more blog post inspiration, check out my blog post idea bank containing 365 blog post ideas!
Jimmy Buffett has said that he never runs out of ideas for songs because there are too many stories to be told. When I am at a loss, I think about what he said and find a story to tell.